tekkenfanonfandomcom-20200213-history
Gaku Kazemaru
Gaku Kazemaru (JPN: 風丸 学 Kazemaru Gaku, KOR: 황천지 Hwang Cheonji) is a fan character in the Tekken series who first appeared in Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion, and is the protagonist of the Perfect Wind fanon universe's Tekken arc. In every game since then, he is available by customizing Hwoarang. Biography Personality Gaku is said to have slightly different personalities in and outside of combat. Normally, he is said to be a kind-hearted caring man, despite his sarcastic outer shell. In combat, however, he appears to be far more hot blooded and sarcastic than usual, often making fun of his opponents. Gaku is what one would call a chivalrous pervert; he constantly ogles attractive women, but at the same time, he genuinely cares for them as people, and would never disrespect a person based on their gender alone, nor would he hold back against a female fighter solely because she is a woman. Other than martial arts, Gaku is said to enjoy Korean music, dancing, video games, and traveling. Fighting Style Gaku is trained in Traditional Tae Kwon Do, though his sparring style is near-identical to Hwoarang's ITF-based Taekwon-do. However, his style has some nuances of Japanese Karate, both due to previously training in the style with his father, and Traditional Tae Kwon Do's close roots in Karate. Appearance Gaku is a young man of Japanese and Korean descent. He has short black hair with messy bangs, and a lean yet muscular build. In most artistic depictions, however, his hair is often depicted as a dark green, and his hair in the games is said to have a very dark green tint to it. His usual sparring outfit consists of a short blue open jacket with black lining, black dobok pants held up by a black belt, and blue sparring gloves and foot pads. His alternate outfit consists of jeans, green chaps, and a white and green sleeveless leather jacket with matching riding gloves. In Tekken Tag Tournament 2, an alternate version of Gaku exists as an alternate costume for Baek Doo San, depicting him as a grandfather during the events of God Eater Resurrection, in which his grandson, Shinobu Kazemaru, is the first New-Type God Eater. Story Gaku Kazemaru was born in Sawasaki, Japan the son of Yuki Kazemaru (風丸 勇気 Kazemaru Yūki), a Japanese businessman and karate expert who was in line to become the heir to the Kazemaru financial empire, and Park Yuna (박윤아 Bak Yoon-Ah), a Korean woman who works for the Kazemaru family. Initially, Yuki's father, Kazuyoshi (風丸 和吉'' Kazemaru Kazuyoshi''), disagreed with their mixed marriage, causing a brief falling out that resulted in Yuki and Yuna moving to America and handing the business to his younger brother, Takeshi (風丸 武 Kazemaru Takeshi). Yuki would begin teaching karate classes, and Gaku would be born some time during this period. He would attend his father's karate lessons from early childhood onwards. Yuki and Kazuyoshi eventually made amends when Gaku was 5, in which Kazuyoshi happily welcomes Yuna and Gaku into the family. Growing up, Gaku never felt that he fully fit in with either the local Japanese or Korean communities. He was often bullied by both sides due to his mixed heritage, which caused resentment. However, in order to connect with his roots, his mother suggested that he take up Taekwondo, which eventually allowed him to channel his anger in a more practical way. Though Gaku was already proficient in traditional Karate due to personal training from his father, he agreed so that he could train outside of his father's dojo as well. He would quickly make friends in the dojang, and eventually even gain the respect of those who formerly bullied him, as they noticed his improved strength of character. Ironically, at this point, Gaku no longer felt a need to fit in, and simply did what he felt was best for himself. During high school, Gaku would befriend Mika Satomi, and the two would be longtime friends. Later on in their lives, she would occasionally take him to shooting ranges and teach him how to use firearms, often in exchange for him buying her lunch. Tekken 3 When Gaku was 18, his father revealed their legacy as demon hunters and paranormal investigators. Their ancestor, a samurai named Seiji Kazemaru, began a long line of demon hunters after his adventures across the world, and Yuki himself kept knowledge of demon-sealing ninpo techniques. However, he gave Gaku the choice of whether or not to follow their legacy. Gaku initially denied, though he would eventually become inspired to agree after his friend Mika began to investigate Ogre. He would eventually follow her, and the two would investigate together, behind the scenes of the 3rd King of Iron Fist Tournament. He would become an anthropology student, to further enhance his investigation and demon slaying. Tekken 6 After investigating demons behind the scenes of past tournaments, and getting bored of beating up on cocky McDojo students who challenge him, Gaku finally decided to enter the King of Iron Fist 6. In preparation for the 6th King of Iron Fist tournament, Gaku spent some time training with Mika. The two would later go to Sawasaki to train and stay with Gaku's uncle Takeshi. The two made a promise with Mitsuki that if they were to fight each other in the tournament, none of them would hold back. By the time the 6th King of Iron Fist Tournament started, Gaku entered to test his skills. Though he made it far, he did not make it to the finals. During the tournament, Gaku would also befriend Vera Vidal, with whom he would have a brief relationship. After he lost, Gaku left for Egypt to investigate Azazel. Vera joined him. Gaku eventually returned to America, and Vera to Brazil. The two eventually broke up, but remained friends. Street Fighter x Tekken When Pandora landed in Antarctica, Gaku Kazemaru happened to be in Japan visiting his family. As soon as he heard the news, many fighters chased after it, including him. It was said that the he encountered and fought a wandering martial artist named Tang Shou. Tekken 7 Now with Jin Kazama gone and Azazel destroyed, Gaku briefly returned home. He continued to train with his father, who would go harder during their sparring matches under the excuse that his son "made him worry". Upon hearing about the 7th King of Iron Fist Tournament, Gaku returned to Japan. Though he invited Mika, she chose to stay to continue her research. He would stay and train with his aunt and with Mitsuki, the latter with whom he spend most of his time. Gaku would eventually enter the 7th King of Iron Fist Tournament to investigate the Devil Gene, and to exact revenge on Mitsuki for beating him in the last tournament. Character Relationships * Kazuyoshi Kazemaru - His paternal grandfather, and the current patriarch of the Kazemaru clan. * Yuki Kazemaru - His father, a Japanese-American karate expert. * Hwang Yuna - His mother, a Japanese citizen of Korean origin. * Natsuko Kazemaru - His aunt, the successor to the Kazemaru financial empire after Yuki turned his position down. * Mika Satomi - His close friend and training partner throughout most of high school and college. She is implied to have feelings for him, though he is largely unaware of them. * Ogre - After learning of his family's legacy, Gaku would join Mika in investigating the legend of Ogre. * Vera Vidal - Gaku's short-term girlfriend, who he would meet during the 6th King of Iron Fist Tournament. * Hwoarang - After losing out of the 6th King of Iron Fist Tournament, Gaku joined Hwoarang's resistance movement against the Mishima Zaibatsu. * Lars Alexandersson - After Lars defeated Hwoarang's ragtag army, Gaku offered his mercenary services to him. * Azazel - Gaku investigated Azazel alongside Lars and Raven, and was a witness to the temple's destruction. Gallery Gaku T6 P1.jpg|Gaku as he appears in Tekken 6 Gaku T6 P2.jpg|Gaku's P2 costume in Tekken 6, inspired by Hwoarang Gaku TTT2 P1.jpg|Gaku as he appears in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Gaku TTT2 P2.jpg|Gaku's biker costume in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Trivia *Gaku is a direct descendant of fellow fan character Seiji Kazemaru. His hair color with a green tint is a reference to how Seiji's hair color is depicted in Soulcalibur.